Taking It Off, Keeping It Off
By SHELLEY HANSONArticle Photos
Carol Huffman owned her treadmill for two or three years before she ever used it.
Now, however, she has the motivation to get on it and go.
Huffman, a Short Creek area resident, recently placed first in a weight loss challenge organized by Wheeling resident Trisha Bailey, a weight loss coach.
The challenge lasted 12 weeks, and Huffman lost a little more than 18 pounds.
On Wednesday night, another 12-week class began. And Huffman and her friends are participating again.
She noted she lost the weight by eating better, cutting out sweets, working out and ''drinking lots of water.'' Huffman has struggled with her weight most of her life, and she has tried a variety of diets that didn't help much. What helped make the challenge work is that Huffman made friends in the class, she said. There is also a cash incentive, based on the collective entry fees to join the class.
''I knew not just eating habits was enough - I had to exercise, too,'' Huffman said.
Bailey said she does not have any special medical training, but she bases her classes on nutrition information taken from various books, DVDs and Web sites, such as Dr. Steve Komadina's ''Born To Be Healthy and Thin - Your Body's Own Manual'' and Dr. David Heber's ''What Color Is Your Diet?''
Each week's class focuses on a different topic, including maximizing metabolism; nutritional labels, shopping and good carbohydrates; sugar; importance of fiber; exercise and stress; keeping your heart healthy and more. Classes are held at CentreTown Fitness in Center Wheeling.
Bailey, who also is a dietary supplement dealer, said she lost 37 pounds and 47 inches in seven months, and she has kept most of it off.
''I wanted to be there for my kids when they grow up. At the rate I was going, that wasn't going to happen,'' Bailey said.
Third-place winner Marlene Holmes of Moundsville said she lost 16.9 pounds during the latest contest. And according to her doctor's visit Wednesday morning, her cholesterol has decreased and her blood work was good, which was especially important to Holmes because she is diabetic.
''He told me if I didn't watch it, I'd be in a wheelchair,'' Holmes said of her doctor's warnings about her weight.
Holmes said she, too, has tried of variety of diets in the past with negative results. Joining the class with her sister, Terry Minear, and meeting new friends made the process more enjoyable, she noted.
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WilliamTheBloody
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08-07-08 11:52 PM
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thought this would be about strippers from the title
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Mom2Four
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08-07-08 11:28 PM
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The News Register always prints such detailed articles. So, if I was interested in one of these classes, I could just go sit by Center Town Fitness every day and wait until someone I recognize from the article shows up? Hello? Details would be nice! Contact information, a time, a day!
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UNCOMMONSENSE
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08-07-08 9:48 AM
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Great job girls! I too have stuggled with my weight. I LOVE food! Now I still eat all the same foods that I used to, just eat less of it. And I have substituted flavored water for those high carb sodas. This is something you do for YOU. And nobody else. Keep up the good work!
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